"Oh Lord!"

This was so very aggravating - the more especially as I found

myself making no way against his surly obtuseness - that I said,

disregarding Herbert's efforts to check me:

"Come, Mr. Drummle, since we are on the subject, I'll tell you what

passed between Herbert here and me, when you borrowed that money."

"I don't want to know what passed between Herbert there and you,"

growled Drummle. And I think he added in a lower growl, that we

might both go to the devil and shake ourselves.

"I'll tell you, however," said I, "whether you want to know or not.

We said that as you put it in your pocket very glad to get it, you

seemed to be immensely amused at his being so weak as to lend it."

Drummle laughed outright, and sat laughing in our faces, with his

hands in his pockets and his round shoulders raised: plainly

signifying that it was quite true, and that he despised us, as

asses all.

Hereupon Startop took him in hand, though with a much better grace

than I had shown, and exhorted him to be a little more agreeable.

Startop, being a lively bright young fellow, and Drummle being the

exact opposite, the latter was always disposed to resent him as a

direct personal affront. He now retorted in a coarse lumpish way,

and Startop tried to turn the discussion aside with some small

pleasantry that made us all laugh. Resenting this little success

more than anything, Drummle, without any threat or warning, pulled

his hands out of his pockets, dropped his round shoulders, swore,

took up a large glass, and would have flung it at his adversary's

head, but for our entertainer's dexterously seizing it at the

instant when it was raised for that purpose.

"Gentlemen," said Mr. Jaggers, deliberately putting down the glass,

and hauling out his gold repeater by its massive chain, "I am

exceedingly sorry to announce that it's half-past nine."

On this hint we all rose to depart. Before we got to the street

door, Startop was cheerily calling Drummle "old boy," as if nothing

had happened. But the old boy was so far from responding, that he

would not even walk to Hammersmith on the same side of the way; so,

Herbert and I, who remained in town, saw them going down the street

on opposite sides; Startop leading, and Drummle lagging behind in

the shadow of the houses, much as he was wont to follow in his

boat.

As the door was not yet shut, I thought I would leave Herbert there

for a moment, and run up-stairs again to say a word to my guardian.

I found him in his dressing-room surrounded by his stock of boots,

already hard at it, washing his hands of us.

I told him I had come up again to say how sorry I was that anything

disagreeable should have occurred, and that I hoped he would not

blame me much.

"Pooh!" said he, sluicing his face, and speaking through the

water-drops; "it's nothing, Pip. I like that Spider though."

He had turned towards me now, and was shaking his head, and

blowing, and towelling himself.

"I am glad you like him, sir," said I - "but I don't."

"No, no," my guardian assented; "don't have too much to do with

him. Keep as clear of him as you can. But I like the fellow, Pip;

he is one of the true sort. Why, if I was a fortune-teller--"

Looking out of the towel, he caught my eye.

"But I am not a fortune-teller," he said, letting his head drop

into a festoon of towel, and towelling away at his two ears. "You

know what I am, don't you? Good-night, Pip."

"Good-night, sir."

In about a month after that, the Spider's time with Mr. Pocket was

up for good, and, to the great relief of all the house but Mrs.

Pocket, he went home to the family hole.

Chapter 27

"MY DEAR MR PIP,

"I write this by request of Mr. Gargery, for to let you know that he

is going to London in company with Mr. Wopsle and would be glad if

agreeable to be allowed to see you. He would call at Barnard's

Hotel Tuesday morning 9 o'clock, when if not agreeable please

leave word.